Shrey From Hubli to Udaan SDE (2026)

Landing a coveted Software Development Engineer (SDE) role at a high-growth Indian unicorn like Udaan is a dream for countless engineering students. For Shrey, a final-year B.Tech student from a college in Hubli, this dream became a reality with an offer for 2026, proving that strategic preparation trumps location. His journey from a tier-2 city campus to a pre-placement offer (PPO) is a masterclass in focused learning and smart resource utilization.

Decoding the Udaan Hiring Process

Udaan's recruitment for SDE roles is notoriously rigorous, designed to assess fundamental strength, problem-solving agility, and practical coding skills. Shrey's process consisted of three intense rounds after an initial resume shortlist.

Online Assessment (OA): This round tested core competencies with a mix of data structures and algorithms (DSA) problems, along with computer science fundamentals (OS, DBMS, OOPs). The key, Shrey notes, is speed with accuracy.
Technical Interview Rounds (Typically 2-3): These are deep-dive sessions. Interviewers move beyond textbook answers to evaluate how you approach real-world scalability issues. "They presented a problem and then kept adding constraints—'What if we have 10 million requests per second?' This tests your ability to think about distributed systems and optimizations," Shrey explained.
HR/Managerial Round: This final stage assesses cultural fit, long-term goals, and understanding of Udaan's B2B e-commerce domain. Genuine interest in solving problems for Indian businesses and kirana stores made a significant impact.

The Foundational Tech Stack: Beyond Campus Syllabus

Shrey realized early that campus curriculum alone wouldn't cut it. He built his foundation using a combination of free, high-quality resources trusted by Indian developers.

Core DSA & Problem-Solving: He followed the famous Striver (takeUforward) SDE Sheet and A2Z DSA Sheet religiously. For conceptual clarity, YouTube channels like Gate Smashers (for OS/DBMS) and Jenny's Lectures were invaluable.
Backend & Systems Design: Understanding that companies like Udaan, Flipkart, and Swiggy handle massive scale, he started learning system design basics from Gaurav Sen's and CodeKarle's YouTube channels. He practiced designing systems like URL shorteners and rate limiters.
Practical Development: To translate theory into practice, he built 2-3 end-to-end projects. One was a full-stack inventory management system, which directly resonated with Udaan's domain. He used freeCodeCamp for guided project tutorials and Apna College's videos for MERN stack implementation.

Strategic Preparation: A 6-Month Blueprint

Shrey’s preparation wasn't haphazard; it was a disciplined, phased approach over his pre-final year.

Months 1-2: Language & Basic DSA Mastery. He chose one language (Java) and mastered its syntax and standard libraries. He simultaneously started with basic data structures (Arrays, Strings, Linked Lists) on platforms like HackerRank.
Months 3-4: Advanced DSA & Problem Patterns. This phase involved solving 300+ curated problems from LeetCode and GeeksforGeeks, focusing on recognizing patterns (Sliding Window, Two Pointers, DP). He maintained a detailed error log.
Months 5: CS Fundamentals & Projects. He dedicated time to Operating Systems, DBMS (indexing, transactions), and Computer Networks. Concurrently, he developed and deployed his major project, writing clean, documented code on GitHub.
Month 6: Mock Interviews & Company-Specific Prep. He practiced extensively on Pramp and with college peers. He researched Udaan specifically—its tech blog, business model, and the challenges of Indian logistics and supply chain.

Key Differentiators in Shrey's Success

What set Shrey apart in a pool of applicants from top-tier colleges? It was a combination of demonstrable skills and strategic positioning.

Depth Over Breadth in DSA: Instead of solving thousands of problems randomly, he solved ~500 problems but ensured he could derive optimal solutions and explain trade-offs for each.
The "Why" Behind Every Concept: When asked about a HashMap, he could explain its internal working, time complexity, and how it would behave in a multi-threaded environment—a question often asked by companies like Udaan and Zomato.
Project with a Story: His inventory management project wasn't just a CRUD app. He could discuss the design choices, how he would scale it, and how it related to solving real problems for small businesses, aligning perfectly with the interviewer's mindset.
Effective Communication: He practiced explaining his thought process aloud while solving problems, a skill that made his technical interviews collaborative rather than interrogative.

Navigating Common Pitfalls & Mindset

The path is fraught with common mistakes. Shrey emphasizes avoiding the "tutorial loop" on YouTube and jumping into coding immediately. Consistency is far more critical than bursts of effort. "Solving 2 problems daily with full understanding is better than 20 problems in one weekend you'll forget," he advises.

He also managed the tier-2 college stigma by letting his skills do the talking. Platforms like LinkedIn were used strategically to connect with recruiters and engineers at target companies, not just for passive browsing. Handling rejection from other companies (Accenture, Wipro) became a learning process to identify gaps in his knowledge.

Next Steps

Shrey's story proves that the resources to build a top-tier tech career are accessible to everyone. Your journey starts with a single step.

Ready to build your DSA foundation? Browse our curated list of free Data Structures & Algorithms courses from platforms like Coursera (with Financial Aid) and NPTEL.
Want to work on a project but don't know where to start? Explore our collection of free full-stack development courses and guided projects.
Aiming for product-based companies? Understand their patterns with our aggregated resources on system design preparation.